Apparatus for waving hair



F 6h15 1952 ,1. A. swENsoN ET A1. 2,584,760

APPARATUS FOR WAVING HAIR Filed sept. '24, 1949 f5 [kv Feb- 5, 1952 J.A. -swENsoN ET AL 2,584,760

APPARATUS'FOR WAVING HAIR Filed sept. 24, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 6) W Y{.af C5 i j G W //M///////////////// J- /m/ f 5 wif' .6d

conventional types of hair eurlers. vention herein disclosed, asrepresented in Figs.

' out anyv slack occurring.

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR WAVDVGHAIR James A. Swenson, Waltham, William E. Burns, Norfolk, and RichardH. Stead, Revere, Mass.

Application September 24, 1949, Serial No. 117,597

Claims. (Cl. 132-33) This invention relates to improved apparatus forthe waving of human hair and more particularly to apparatus which isintended to impart `what is known as a permanent wave to the hair.

In order that the principle of the invention may be Yreadily understoodwe have disclosed several embodiments thereof in the accompanyingdrawings wherein-,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention whereinthe main or body member -is bifurcated throughout the greater portion ofits length to provide a so-called clothespin construction;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section of one v end of theconstruction shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a longitudinalview partly in longitudinal section, of a second embodiment oftheinvention;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4; l

Figs. 6a to 6e represent in plan view and in section, modications of theconstructions shown in Figs. 1 to 5, wherein the two tines or partsV ofthe bifurcated pin-like member contrast with each other in width anddesirably in length;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of still another embodiment ofthe invention,wherein the main or body member is solid excepting for the headportions, and wherein lthe removable pin member is similar to that shownin Fig. 1; and Y Fig; 7 is a side elevation of still another embodimentof the invention, the two parts of ,the curler being represented asseparated from each other.

All of the embodiments of the invention herein disclosed have a numberof advantages over the In the in- 1 to 5, no paper is needed for holdingthe ends of the hair in position when winding begins. Also,

the curler can be withdrawn from the hair Vwithout unfurling the curlthereof, in the forms represented by Figs. 1 to 5, whereas most othertypes f of. curlers with which we are familiar, including thoserepresented by Figs. 6 and 7, require unwinding of the curl in ordertoremove the curling bar. Moreover, the parts of the curler of ourvinvention are in their functioning position held firmly lockedtogether, thus. allowing the curler to be positioned tightv to the heador scalp with- Referring first to the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2and.3, there is provided-a main or body .memberl and a removable ypinmember 2, the

Y the said main or body member I.

form of va clothespin, but if desired with reentrant curves 5a, 6aproviding a slight enlargement readily found by the user in operatingthe bifurcated .member, thus facilitating the act of opening up themember I for use. Such enlargement may be placed wherever desired (forexample, more nearly midway the length of said member I). The removablepin member 2 has at one end a thin portion 'I to be grasped by the thumband finger, which portion may be roughened and from which extends ashort pin-like formation 8, shown mainly in dotted lines in Fig. 1 andin section in Fig. 2. The said pin member 2l is adapted to be insertedin the hollow head portion 3 which is provided with at least one muchlonger formation 9 extending generally parallel with said short pin-likeformation 8 and that, when the removable pin member 2 is positioned infunctioning relation, extends generally parallel with Said longerformation 9 has a thin inner edge ID shaped to be slid lengthwise intoany desired one of the said circumferentially shaped channels or grooves4 -upon the said hollow head portion 3, when the f short pin-likeformation 8 is inserted into the said hollow head portion 3. Thechannels or grooves 4 provide a fluted surface that enables the deviceto be readily gripped and thus facilitating the .winding operation.

It win be noted, viewing Figs. 1V and 2,v that the bottom of each of thechannels or grooves 4 is slightly further radially removed from thelongitudinal axis of said main or body member I than is the remainder ofthe surface of the said main or body member I. Also the thin inner edgeI0 terminates in a further inwardly extending spring locking formationI0b, and the said head portion `V`3 terminates at its inner end in awell defined shoulder Ic down which the said locking formation I0bslides to engage the smooth surface of the main or body member I, asshown in Figs. 1

and 2, thereby serving to lock the said removable pin member 2 in itsfunctioning position shown in Fig. 1. The removable pin member is most Aaptly Adefined as a pin lock-stop member. It is a retainingvmember butit has no clamping action or functionwhatever, Its function is n ot topinch 3 or clamp the hair to the body member I, but to stand in the wayof the hair as a stop in a direction to prevent the hair from unwindingor unfurling from the body member I. Actual clamping of the hair isaccomplished by or with the parts or tines 5, 6 of the body member I.The space or opening between the said parts or tines 5, 6, as will beobserved in Figs. l, 2, and 4, extends back very close to the inner endof the hollow head portion 3. The parts or tines 5, B thus receive avery substantial strand or group of hairs throughout the entire lengthof the space or opening between the parts or tines 5, 6, which hairs areeffectively clamped by the parts or tines 5, 6 that are pinched togetherby the thumb and fingers of the user. This pinching or clamping eifectextends to and is effective well back Atoward or actually to the innerend of the space or opening between the parts or tines 5, 6. In normaluse, the parts or tines 5, 6 are first pinched together by the operatorsor users fingers and thumb, then the hair is wound around the bodymember I by turning the latter a sufficient number of times about itslongitudinal axis. Once the hair is wound around the body member, thehair itself completes the clamping action, and it is no longer necessaryfor the operator or user to pinch the parts or tines 5, 6.

In order to use the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the divided portion ofthe hair to be curled is. placed between the rst and second lingers ofone hand and just above the fingers and close to the scalp or near theroot ends of the hair, and the main or body member I is slippedtransversely of the said portion of the hair so that such portion ofhair is received between the bifurcations or parts 5, 5 of the main orbody member I. The said main or -body member I is slid sideways down thehair away from the scalp and close to the free ends of the hair, andthen the divided parts of bifurcations 5, 6 of the main or body memberare pinched together so as to grip the hair ends. Then the main or bodymember I is turned or rolled until the portion of the hair within thesaid bifurcations or parts 5, 6 is wound into a curl. The pin lock-stopmember 2, as shown in Fig. 1, is provided with the longer formation 9which is `inwardly curved so as at least to approach the main or bodymember I near its outer end, it being shown as actually contactingthere- 1 with at IUc and slightly upturned to present the hai'rguidingend. In Fig. 4, where the pin lockstop member' is shown as providedwithtwo opposite elongated members I5, I6, the outer end portions ofsaid members do not actually contact with the body member, but they areeach slightly outwardly turned at I1, I8 to provide .guides for thehair.

The device shown in said Figs. l to is made of some suitable materialsuch as a plastic that is sulilciently flexible to effect or facilitatethe results just described.

After the main or body member I .has been rotated upon its axissufficiently to wind the portion of the hair completely thereon, theremovable pin member 2 is positioned with the short pin-like formation 8thereof in the said longitudinal or small recess in the head 3 and withthe locking edge I0 engaging one of the longitudinally extendingcircumferential channels or grooves 4 of said head 3, and with thelocking formation IIlb in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The twoparts of the curler are allowed to remain in such cooperatingfunctioning position Vuntilfa curl 7 formed in the hair and issufficiently set.

The structure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 (as well as the forms shown inFigs. 4 and 5 yet to be described) in use grips the hair evenly withoutthe provision of any teeth or other roughening formation upon the mainor body member I and without the necessity of using paper coverings tocollect loose hair ends or in order to bite into or grip the hair beforethe winding operation begins, as is customary with most other curlerswith which we are familiar.

In order better to grip that portion of the hair to be curled, which isdistributed toward the inner or head end of the bifurcation, thebifurcation members 5, 6 are so formed as to approach very closetooreven to touch each other toward the inner end of the bifurcationeven before or as soon as the outer or free ends of said bifurcationmembers 5, 6 are gripped. This provides a better gripping of the hair inthe vicinity of the inner end of the bifurcation when the said members5, 6 are pinched in the vicinity of the outer end of the bifurcation.

The construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 does not differ'materially withrespect to the main or body vmember (shown at II, and consisting of thetwo portions IIa, IIb) from that shown at I in Figs. 1 and 2, though theshape of the slot existing between the said portions I Ia, IIb may, ifdesired, be wholly straight, as shown in Fig. 4, instead of being shapedas in Figs. 1 and 2.

The said body member II is provided with a hollow headed end I2 that `issimilar to the headed end 3, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so as to receive thepin portion I3 of the `,removable pin member represented generally at I4inFig. 4, which Aremovable pin member is provided with two opposite.elongated members I5, I6, individually generally `similar to the member9 of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but which may or maynot'at their free 4ends I1, I8 contact with the surface of the main orbody member 'I. De-

sirably, however, each 'of the said elongated members I5, I6 is shapedas not only to provide inner edges I9, -20 to engage the proper channelsor grooves 4 ofthe head, but also with the inwardly extending formations2I,V22 that engage the shoulder '22a formed Vat the inner ends of lthechannels or grooves -4 when the parts are positioned yas shown in Fig.4, Vthereby providing a spring lock similar 'to that provided at Ib,Incin Fig. 1, and for the same purpose.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and l5 is used in a mannersimilar to that shown in Figs.1,2 and r3.

In Figs. 6a to 6e, we have represented slight modifications of theconstructions shown in each `of Figs. llto 5.

-but Ythe two tines or parts of the pin member 5,

6 or 24, 25 are shown in'said figures as identical in shape and inextent. In Figs. 6a to 6e, `we have shown yseveral variations from suchconstruction.

In each of Figs. 6a to 6e, the'upper tine or part 5 is shown ofgreaterwidth than the lower tine or part A6. This permits the user (who may bethe one whosehair is being self-curled) to separate further the twotines or parts byi feel alone, while the curler is being applied to thehair, so as more readily to apply the curler to thehair.

In Figs. 6a to 6e, the bifurcation extends nearly to the head end of theremovable pin, asin Figs.

1, 2, and4,v but in Fig.'6c the bifurcation is shorter, as indicated indottedlines. In Figs. 6a, 6b,

and 6c, both the tines or parts 5, 6 are shown as parallel sided, but inFig.I 6b they are krepresented as slightly tapering, thusfacilitatingthe removal of the curler from the hair without disturbing the curl ofthe hair.

It will further be noted that in Fig. 6b the` form or `structure of thetwo parts or'tines 5, 6 is such that the space between them slightlyincreases from the inner end outward. The purpose of such constructionis to facilitate thev gripping of the hair strands.

- In Figs. 6a, 6b, and 6c, the parallel construction may extendthroughout all or the outer poration only of the pin member, and inFigfe.. the

vtapering formation may extendthroughout' all the length of the tines orfor only a portion thereof from the free ends inward. y

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6, the main or bodymember is indicated at 31 and desirably-has longitudinally extendingridges 38, or is otherwise suitably roughened. In Fig. 6 said bodymember 31 is of reduced diameter between the ends thereof, but may be ofsubstantially cylindrical form. In Fig. 6, themain or body member 31 isprovided with identical opposite head portions 39 havingcircumferentiallyspaced longitudinally-extending channels or grooves 40similar to those shown at 4 in the embodiments of our invention shown inFigs. 1 to 5. Also, the cooperating member 4I is generally similar tothat shown at 9 in Fig. 1, being vprovided with a thin grasping end 42which may be roughened and from which inwardly extends a short pinportion 43 that is received in the holflow end of either head portion33. The said cooperating member 4I is provided with an inwardlyextending edge 44 to engage any one of the channels or grooves 40 ofeither head end, andA said edge 44 terminates desirably in a formation45 to engage the -sloping surface of the main or bodymember 38, asshown. Also, the free end 46 of the cooperating member 4l is so curvedor shaped that when the parts are positioned, it engages the outer headend of the main or body member 31.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the main or bodymember 48 is of the general form shown in Fig. 6, and the same numeralsare employed with respect to the head portions 39 with theirlongitudinally extending channels or grooves 40. However, each headportion 39 has only a shallow recess therein. The cooperating member,indicated generally at 5I and shown as separated from the main or bodymember 48, is of elongated bow-shape or attened arc-shape with oppositeinwardly-extending knobs or enlargements 52, 53 which, when thecooperating members are positioned, engage the shallow recessesrespectively in the head portions 39.

Moreover, the cooperating member 5l is provided at both end portionsthereof with thin straight edges 54, 55 to engage the longitudinallyextending channels or grooves 40 of the head portions 39 Ain a mannersimilar to that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 6. Thus theconstruction permits the cooperating member 5l to be turned end for endif desired.

In using the embodiments of the invention shown in Fig. 7, the hair iswound upon the main or body member 48 and after being completely wound,the cooperating member 5| is positioned with its opposite ends receivedin the recesses at the ends of the main or body member 48. being held inposition, in the case of the embodiment Shown in Fig. 7, by thelongitudinally extending channels or grooves 40 of the head portions 39,and by the serrations or notches 56, 51 at both ends of the main or bodymember. The formations 4 (Figs. 1 to 5) and 40 (Fig. 6) are correctly 5dened as channels or grooves. While the invention is in no wise limitedto the shape ofthe channels or grooves here shown, they are in eachinstance shown as bounded by three orthogonally related walls joinedalong generally parallel lines; that is, each is shown as comprising abottom wall and two generally parallel side walls. In the act ofengaging the pin lock-stop member 2 with the main body member I, an edgelub of said pin lock-stop member 2 (indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 and at 2|in Fig. 4) `matches more or less the transverse cross section of thechannel or groove 4 (or 40). Such edge engages the outer end ofsuchchannel or groove 4 or 40 and is pushed by the user so as to passalong lthe channel or groove 4 or 4Q until engagement of the pinlock-stop member with the body member, is completed. It is not necessaryin this invention for such edge to engage the selected channel or grooveat more than one cross section thereof.

While the parts of the several embodiments of the invention may beformed of any suitable material, they are desirably formed of somesuitable flexible material such as a plastic. Also desirably, in eachand every embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the two parts ofthe device are made in contrasting colors, such as red, and white, orany other contrasting colors.

It will be noted that in several of the embodiments of the invention,the cooperating member is of bow-shape or elongated-arc shape, to engagethe main or bodymember only at or adjacent to the end portions thereof.In all forms of the invention, the two members are locked or heldtogether with the hair curled between them. Y i

Having thus described several embodiments of the invention, it is to beunderstood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in ageneric and descriptive sense, and not for purposes of limitation, thescope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A hair-waving curler consisting of a main or body member and aremova-ble pin lock-stop member, said main or body member having at oneend an enlarged head portion of cylindrical form and having an axiallyextending end recess, the outer surface of which headis provided with aparallel series of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extendingchannels each parallel with the axis of said recess, and each consistingof slightly spaced radially extending walls connected by a bottom wall,said channels extending substantially entirely about said cylindricalhead portion; the said main or body member being longitudinallybifurcated to provide two parallel, closely adjacent tines extendingfrom the said head portion; the said removable pin lock-stop memberhaving at one end a thin portion to be grasped by a thumb and finger andfrom which thin portion extends a short arm of a length and diameteradapting it to be inserted into and to fit the axial recess of said headportion, said removable pin lock-stop member hav- 7 ing at least onemuch longer formation generally parallel with the said arm, and which,when the said removable pin lock-stop member is positioned, extendsgenerally parallel with the said main or body member, the said longerformation having an inner edge shaped to be slid length- :claim -1,whereinone ofzsaid elongated tineso .the body member is slightly wider.at its outer iend iat leastzthan .the other, to permit it to begrasped. and Areadily further separated from the narrower tine, theAsaid wider tine being shorter than the other, thereby permitting theouter fend of the longer tine to be readily lgrasped yin the-preparatory manipulation of the rcurler.

3. A. hair .waving curler iii-accordance with claim 1,'Wherein .the saidhead portion terminates inwardly inawell deiined .body member-encirclingshoulder, `and wherein the said inner edge 'of-'saidpin lock-stop memberterminates inwardly vin a! locking formation, which, when said pin1ock-stop member is pushed into its innermost position, snaps down pastsaid shoulderinto engagement with `the surface of the ysaid main .orbody member, in advance of said shoulder.

4. A hair-waving curler consisting of a main or body member and aremovable pin lock-stop member, said main or body member having `at oneend an enlarged head portionof `cylindrical form and having anaxiallyextending endrrecess, 'the outer vsurface of which khead is providedwith :a parallel series ofcircumferentially spaced, Ilongltudinallyextending channels each parallel with the axis of said recess. and eachconsisting of slightly spaced radially extending walls connected by abottom WalLsaid channels extending f substantially 'entirely aboutsaidcylindrical head portion; the said removable pin lockstop inember havingat one end'a thin portion to be grasped by a thumb and nger and fromwhich thin vportion extends a short arm of a length and diameteradapting it to be inserted into and `to t the axial recess of said headportion, saidtremovable 8 piniockv-.stop member having atleast oneinnerlonger-formation --generally parallel with the said arm, and which,`when the said removable Din lock-.stop member is positioned,extendslsenerally parallel with the said main or body member, .the .saidlonger formation vhaving van inner `edge shaped to be slid lengthwiseinto and to Aitany desired one 4of the said circumferentially spacedchannels upon thezsaid cylindrical headportion lo uwhen the-said shortarm is insertedinto the axial recess of said head portion.

"5. VA hair .wavingI curler .in accordanceV with claim 4, wherein'thesaid vlonger formation .of said pin lock-.stop vmember is inwardly.curved l5 near its free vend-so as to contact with the sur- .face Vofysaid main or body member and at lits extreme free end is slightlyoutwardly curved to ,present a hair guiding portion.

JAMES A. SWENSON.

20 WILLIAM E. BURNS.

RICHARD H. STEAD.

REFERENCES CITED VThe following references are vof record in the 25 fileof this patent:

`lUNITED STATES PATENTS (Addition to NO. 686,668)

